The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-06-17

There is a large attractive library in the
/ building, supplied with about 5000 volumes.
various magazines and papers, besides which
/ the students draw books from the Mercantile
/ library in the city There is also pretty
! little theatre where interesting pantomimic
performances are held. One young man Is
especially apt in this kind Of acting. He can
/ represent the death Of Jumbo most patheti-
cally and the antics Of buffalo in an cleo
tiical eel pond most amusingly. The stage
curtains are the pupils own handiwork and
/ snow no small ability in scene painting.
/ wonderful change takes place in the stu
| dents after they have been in this institution
a short time. They come with minds inn
prisoned The avenue Of communication
with the rest Of the world closed, they have
/ no language, and only few ideas which they
can make known by signs TO their immediate
friends The first thing to be done is to give
them n vocabulary and the means Of using it.
They are taught three modes of expression,
the sign language, the deaf aud dumb alpha
bet and the written word. In little while
they can express their thoughts in writing
and begin to gather knowledge from the
world Of books
Some cases when brought there seem hope
/ less How can a person who never heard
sound nor saw one ray Of light be made TO
know what is passing in the world around
him and b understand the thoughts Of other
peoplel Yet it is done There is one young
man in the Institution now who has been
thus liberated from a world of darkness and
brought into contact with his fellow beings
lie has been taught both the sign language
and The deaf and dumb alphabet BY placing
his hand upon the hand of the person speak
ing to him he readily understands what signs
are being made aud answers with his other
hand He has also been taught to operate
typewriter At a recent meeting of the di-
rectors Of the institution he wrote the follow
ing letter on the platform before the au-
dience:
Today ID the anniversary Of our institution. II
is sixty nine years old. We are thankful to the
state and directors for this school We came
here without knowledge We have since learned
much We have been learning good trade
We shall be able to support ourselves when we
leave school shall support myself by bottom
ing chairs am both blind and deaf. but am
not unhappy. TRY 10 be good boy.
RICHARD r. CLINTON
\ series Of careful tests had shown that
seventy-four of the pupils in attendance at
the institution possessed a senSihveness to and
apnreciat!0n Of voice sounds sufficient TO war
rant the attempt TO develop and cultivate, by
means of Instrumental aid, their latent hear
Ing and 10 render it available 10 educational
purposes An ear piece and tube, devised by
Professor Curier made it possible for the
pupil 10 hear his own voice as we'll as that Of
his teacher, 50 that the same course rs that
pursued in teaching the hearing child 10 at
tach significance TO sounds could be fol
lowed These pupils had been under the
charge of Professor Currier, assisted by three
lady teachers, and the results. as attested 10y
the examination, were equal to the most san
guine expectations
One of the most important features of this
school is that it does not stop with mental
and moral training. 1t goes on 70 give u
manual training that shall fiji each pupil who
goes out from them 10 work side by side with
hearing people" in the worlds workshops.
The boys are taught printing, cab net max
ing, carponterng, Shoemaking, gardening
and tailoring; the girls, tailoring, dressmak-
ing, shirtmaking and general sewing.
Some are fitting themselves for teaching
One girl. when asked what she expected to
do when she left school. wrote that she
thought the noblest work she could choose
was teaching the deaf and dumb, and for this
she was trying TO prepare herself.
Some pupils prefer the more ornamental
industries, and these are admitted 20 the art
department, which Is becoming the pride Of
the institution